Hitchins Hardware: Who needs Home Depot? I’m amazed that
this tiny hardware store nearly always has what I need.

Hopkinton Gourmet: Owner Dave Philips greets me
with a smile and remembers my name & favorite sandwich
every time I walk through the door.

Baypath Humane Society: The terrific volunteers
have helped us rescue and find homes for countless
stray cats and one special dog who found their
way to our doorstep. www.baypathhumane.org

I’ve never run the Boston Marathon but I adore Hopkinton’s pretty town common where it kicks off
every year (though I steer clear of the crowds on  that big day!)

Favorite neighborhood: I love Charlesview Estates.
It’s a pretty, established neighborhood with a range
of home styles and is walking distance to EMC Park, Hopkins School (grades 4&5), Hopkinton Middle School (grades 6-8) and Hopkinton High School
(grades 9-12), plus tennis courts & an outdoor basketball court.

Favorite things about my hometown of
Sherborn, MA:

Sailing at Farm Pond

Hiking along Rocky Narrows to a spot that
overlooks the Charles River (best on a weekday
when it’s super quiet)

Going to the “pick your own” blueberry fields
on Western Avenue

Enjoying a summertime lunch in the rocking
chairs outside the Sherborn Inn

Favorite neighborhoods:

Russett Hill Road: Beautiful, tree lined
street and homes with terrific landscaping

Oldfield/Harrington Ridge: Pretty, established
neighborhood walking distance to town trails

Ivy Lane: I love the attractive
houses, and the fact that you can walk to
town

An interesting article in the Boston Globe this weekend helps house hunters find that Holy Grail: the town where schools are good and homes are affordable. I might quibble a bit with their formula weighing MCAS scores too heavily but it’s an interesting study nonetheless:

http://www.boston.com/yourtown/somerville/articles/2009/09/05/more_bang_for_your_buck/

Concord holds their top spot, yet the homes are not what many would call affordable, at an average assessed value of $899,866. Not to discount Concord. It’s one of my favorite towns, and I adore the town center and know many parents who rave about the school system, which rates #3 in Boston Magazine’s recent “Best Public High Schools” report at http://www.bostonmagazine.com/boston/public2009. It also boasts beautiful parks, biking trails, Walden Pond, a plethora of historic homes, and easy train access.

Is it the best for your buck? I guess it depends on what you have for bucks. A lovely community it surely is.

Happily there are a handful of homes currently for sale in Concord, MA at a reasonable price point. You can view a sampling here:

http://www.positiverelocation.com/Properties/PropSearchResults.php?&QueryID=4aa7a47900539

To me, fall is the most beautiful and
exhilarating time of year here in New England.
We’re so fortunate to get to enjoy so many
wonderful parks. My favorite is Elm Bank
Reservation in Wellesley, which has terrific
wooded trails that are great for running. I ran
there along the Charles yesterday. Here’s a
view of the river.

One of my favorite things to read every Tuesday is the New York Times Ethicist column by the very wry ethicist (and humorist) Randy Cohen. What does this have to do with real estate, you may ask? Well, not much, except that Mr. Cohen fields an inordinate number of ethical questions about real estate. Regardless of the topic he’s addressing, the column is often either thought provoking or laugh out loud funny.  Here’s one of my favorite recent responses:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/12/magazine/12wwln-ethicist-t.html